Motorola, Verizon Admit to Flickering Droid X Displays

A screen problem is occurring in only a small number of Droid X smartphones, and Motorola has a fix, reports Engadget.

The Motorola Droid X continues to make news, though not for all the reasons
Motorola and carrier partner Verizon Wireless had hoped. After reports of a
number of devices suffering from flickering screens, the companies have
admitted there was a problem-albeit with .1 percent of the devices.
"Verizon Wireless and Motorola are aware of a very small number of
Droid X units that have experienced a flickering or banding display,"
Verizon said in an official statement posted by Engadget. "Motorola has
resolved the issue and is continuing to ship the phones. Any consumer who
experiences a flickering or banding display should contact a Motorola customer
support center or Verizon Wireless."

As the Droid X's July 15 launch date approached, the stars appeared to be
aligned for a big win for the Android-running device. First, in a scenario out
of a Motorola executive's dream, Apple's hotly anticipated iPhone 4 came under
heavy criticism for its antenna design and reception issues.

Lastly, some of the Droid X's more serious Android competitors-the HTC
Droid Incredible and the HTC Evo 4G-were
suddenly in short supply.
"At present, we feel that we have done everything possible to ensure we
have inventory to meet customer needs around the Droid X," Verizon
spokesperson Brenda Raney told Cnet.com on the eve of the smartphone's launch,
aware of the seemingly sunny forecast.
Quickly, however, the rain clouds rolled in, with news of low inventories
coming as soon as July 16. In a July 19 research note, Gleacher & Co.
analyst Mark McKechnie wrote that a poll of 20 Verizon Wireless retail
stories found the Droid X to be sold out
at all locations. McKechnie added that few of the retailers he
contacted knew for certain when the Droid X would be back in stock, "but
all suggested we purchase online for home delivery by July 27 or July 28 if we
ordered today."
News of some Droid X handsets suffering from flickering displays is a bit
more unexpected rain on Verizon and Motorola's parade.

Michelle Maisto has been covering the enterprise mobility space for a decade, beginning with Knowledge Management, Field Force Automation and eCRM, and most recently as the editor-in-chief of Mobile Enterprise magazine. She earned an MFA in nonfiction writing from Columbia University, and in her spare time obsesses about food. Her first book, The Gastronomy of Marriage, if forthcoming from Random House in September 2009.